LAW. 



655 



.rvi: . 

 >. ,: 



!* in disguise, joining in, or abetting any riot to oppose 

 H|2 such process, are felons without benefit of clergy. 



4. An escape of a person arrested upon criminal pro- 

 cess, before he is put in hold. Penalty, fine and im- 

 prisonment. An officer negligently permitting a felon 

 to escape, is considered guilty of an offence of equal 

 degree with that of the felony committed, and is liable 

 to be punished accordingly, if the felon be retaken and 

 convicted ; if not, to be fined and imprisoned, 

 i Bmef: of 5. Breach of prison, or any place of security, when 

 frimo. lawfully committed for treason or felony, is felony at 

 common law ; and to break prison when confined for 

 any other inferior charge, is punished with fine and im- 

 prisonment as a high misdemeanor. 



H,.^. . 6. Rricue is the forcibly and knowingly freeing a 

 person from an arrest or imprisonment ; and is of equal 

 magnitude as the guilt of a gaoler voluntarily permit- 

 ting a prisoner to escape ; consequently liable to simi- 

 lar punishment. 



7. Returning from transportation before the expira- 

 tion of the term for which the offender was transport- 

 ed, or ordered to transport himself. Penalty, felony 

 without benefit of clergy. 



8. Taking a reward under the pretence of helping the 

 owner to his stolen goods ; the offender shall suffer the 

 same punishment as the felon is liable to who stole the 

 goods, unless he give evidence against the principal 

 felon. 



9. Receiving ilolen goods, hum-ing them to be slolen, 

 is (a high misdemeanor ; such offender may be dealt 

 with as an accessory to the theft and felony, if the 

 principal felon be first taken and convicted. 



10. Thrft-bote, U where a party robbed, not only 

 knows the felon, but take* his goods again, or other 

 nrnds, upon agreement not to prosecute. Penalty, 

 fine and imprisonment. Even to advertise a reward 

 for the return of things stolen, with no questions ask- 

 ed, or word* to the same purport, subjects the adver- 

 tiser and the printer to a forfeiture of '50 each. 



11. Common barrelry is the stirring up suits or quar- 

 rels, either at law or otherwise. Penalty, fine and im- 

 pruonmrnt. If any one who has been convicted of 

 fcngeiy, perjury, subornation of perjury, or common 

 barretry, shall practise as an attorney, solicitor, or 

 agent in any suit, the court upon complaint and proof, 

 Mil direct the offender to be transported for seven 



18. Maintenance U an officious intermeddling, or as- 

 j in a suit that in no way belongs to one. Penal- 

 ty, fine and imprisonment. 



13. Champerty ( campi-partilio ) is a bargain with the 

 defendant or plaintiff to divide the land or other mat- 

 ter tued for between them, if either prevail at law ; 

 which is also punished with fine and imprisonment 

 r 11. ('omp'junding of information upon penal statutes. 

 Penalty, fine, pillory, and rendered incapable of ever 

 after suing upon any popular action. 



Conspiracy to indict an innocent man of felony, 

 who U accordingly indicted and acquitted, is a farther 

 abuse and perversion of public justice, and is punished 

 l>y fine, imprisonment, and pillory. Also sending 

 threatening letters to extort money or other valuables, 

 upon which the same punishment follows. 

 _ pti 16. Perjury it where one swears wilfully, absolutely, 



i Mibof'' * n ^ fclstlv to an oath, administered by those having 

 Lawful authority so to do. Subornation is the procur- 

 ing another to take a false oath. For the latter offence, 

 the penalty i perpetual infamy, and a fine of 40, on 

 the suborner; and in default of payment, imprison- 



19 



ment for six months, and to stand with both ears nail- Law 

 ed to the pillory. For perjury, six months imprison- ofEngland. 

 ment, perpetual infamy, and a fine of 20, or to have ''"" "Y"'' 

 both ears nailed to the pillory. 



17. Bribery, or the giving a reward to influence a 17. Bribery. 

 judge, or other person concerned in the administration 



of justice, is punished in inferior officers by fine and 

 imprisonment, as also those who offer a bribe, though 

 not taken. But judges forfeit treble the bribe, are 

 punished at the king's will, and discharged from the 

 king's service for ever. 



18. Embracery is an attempt to influence a jury cor- 18. Enibra- 

 ruptly to one side, by promises, persuasions, entreaties, ce T- 

 money, entertainments, and the like. Penalty, fine 



and imprisonment : and for the jury, perpetual infa- 

 my, imprisonment for a year, and forfeiture of tenfold 

 the value of the bribe. 



19. Falte verdict of juries is punished by attaint. 



20. Negligence of public officers, as sheriffs, coroners, 

 constables, and the like. Penalty, fine and imprison- 

 ment. gence of 



21. Oppression of magistrates. publicofli- 



22. Extortion by officers. Penalty in both cases, im- cers - 

 prisonment, fine, a;id sometimes forfeiture of the office. 21 ' PP res - 



XI. Felonious breaches of the peace, are, s '." by ma - 



, T-L , I- ' c gistratcs. 



1. The riotous assembling of twelve persons, or jg. Extor- 



more, and not dispersing within an hour after procla- tion by of- 

 mation made for that purpose, or opposing the reading ficers. 

 of such proclamation by force. XI. Of- 



2. Appearing armed, in disguise, or with blackened fei ] ces * 



3. Extorting money by sending threatening letters ; peace. 

 each of which three offences is felony, without the be- 1. Riotous 

 nefit of clergy. assemblies 



4. Miilicinuxly to damage or destroy any banks, of 12 P el> 

 iluicct, or other works on a navigable river. To destroy 8C m . 

 any turnpike, gate, or fence, toll-house or weighing- g^^imtar. 

 engine thereunto belonging, erected by authority of j n 'g armed 

 parliament. Penalty, transportation for seven years, and in dis- 



5. Affrays, or the fighting in public of two or more guise. 

 persons in some public place, and these affrays are ? Kxtor '- 

 more heinous according to the aggravation used, or '^Q**' 

 the sacredness of the place wherein they are com- ^ g ^ces. 

 menced. Penalty, fine and imprisonment. 5. Affrays. 



6. Riots, runts, and unlawful assemblies, must have 6. Itiou. 

 three persons to constitute them, and assembled to do 



some unlawful net, as to pull down enclosures, &c. 

 Penalty, fine and imprisonment. 



7. Tumultuous petitioning. By 13 Car. II. st. i. c. 5. 7. Tunuil- 

 it is enacted, " that not more than twenty names shall tuous P e 'i- 

 be signed to any petition to the king, or either house " on ' m S" 



of parliament, for any alteration of matters established 

 by law in church or state, unless the contents thereof 

 be previously approved, in the country, by three jus- 

 tices, or the majority of the grand jury at the assizes 

 or quarter sessions ; and in London, by the lord may- 

 or, aldermen, and common council ; and that no peti- 

 tion shall be delivered by a company of more than ten 

 jwrsons, on pain in either case of incurring a penalty 

 not exceeding < 100, and three months imprisonment." 



.V Forcible entry and detainer, as violently taking or 8. Forcibl 

 keeping possession of lands and tenements, with me- "try and 

 naces, force, and arms, without the authority of law. detainer- 

 Penalty, fine and restitution, without inquiring into 

 the merits of the title ; for the law only recognises a 

 peaceable entry. 



9. Riding or going armed with dangerous or unusual 9. Goin,j 

 weapons. Penalty, forfeiture of arms and imprison- armed. 

 ment. 



